Treasury Analyst Review

1. I work as a Treasury Analyst in our Treasury department. This involves looking after the funding of the company as a whole so we work with banks, different departments and investors. I am involved in the cash flow forecasting which involves building in all of the difference cash flows in and out of the company that we expect to have so that we know how much cash we need readily available.

2. I am training for my CIMA qualification which is supported by GSK. I have also been on a 'Write right' course which helps to teach you the correct way to write your emails/documents so that they're to the point and so you're communicating your view clearly. As well as this I have also built my personal and professional skills by getting involved in different areas and being given the opportunity to chair different meetings.

3. The programme has been a great way to meet people in different areas and see what area of finance I might want to work in. All of the people I have met at GSK are friendly and happy to try and help me learn and develop. There is a good, dynamic culture at GSK and there are many opportunities to get involved in things outside of your role - EG the social group or visits to other GSK sites.

4. GSK has internal recognition programmes which allows people who are happy with your work to either send you a 'e-thank you card' or a 'star award' which are of different levels and involve a cash bonus. This is a great way to feel valued for the work you're doing and they also get sent to your managers so they're able to see that other people are happy with the work you're doing.

5. When I started the apprenticeship we were only the second cohort to have gone through it. This meant that there was less prior experience in the programme and also fewer allumni to speak to. However, there was good training and support provided and the managers were all very supportive of the scheme and the extra commitments that the apprenticeship came with so were happy to allow us time off from work to attend the lectures/do the exams.

I study CIMA with Kaplan who are always available for questions. I also have one person who is my main contact who sets my coursework tasks. I have meetings with her around every 6 weeks and these are a mix of phone calls and meetings in person. However she's always available via email to answer any questions or advise if I need help with anything.

All of the managers I've had have been very supportive with the apprenticeship scheme and are understanding about allowing us the time from work to the attend the lectures or take the exams. We are also allowed a couple of days study leave for each exam. My colleagues have also all been happy to take the time to teach me any of the technical work I don't understand. We also have a dedicated apprenticeship mentor who is available to provide support with any of the technical sides of the actual apprenticeship.

7. As I work near London I would be unable to live by myself on this salary (although I know some apprentices who do!) but I think the salary package is very reasonable for an apprenticeship. It is higher than others I know of and they also enroll us in the pension scheme, share scheme and bonus scheme. There is also a travel allowance provided to the apprentices to help with costs.

Different opportunities are available at different sites. I have been based at both Stockley Park and GSKH and they've both had many different opportunities outside of work. At Stockley park there are 'working groups' which organise social events at lunch times or trips to other GSK sites. There are also site-wide events organised which can vary from BBQs to Yoga. At GSKH there are also site-wide events organised and there are more opportunities to be involved in football, cricket, tennis clubs etc. You can also get the shuttle bus across to GSKH to join in with any of these as well!

Yes

GSK has a great working atmosphere and everyone is friendly and relaxed. It's a great business to get involved in and there's also lots going on that you can get stuck in to.It is also a well-known company so helps to build your CV well when you're just starting out in your career. Also as they're a large company there's lots of different areas you can work in so you can find out which area it is that you enjoy the most.

Make sure that you do some research into the company and their values before your interview/assessment day and they will be looking to see if you meet these. Also be yourself, be confident and know that they will want you to do well and get the jobs so they're on your side so don't need to be extremely nervous!